Prevalence, molecular detection, and histopathological analysis of necrotic enteritis in chickens

Background: With the significant growth of the global broiler industry, Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis (NE) has become an ongoing challenge, causing considerable economic losses, particularly following the ban on antimicrobial growth promoters in animal feeds in many countries. Aim: The present study was aimed at studying prevalence and histopathological alterations in necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens in Kashmir, India. Methods: Ninety-five (95) samples (feacal material and intestinal contents) suspected of necrotic enteritis were collected from various outbreaks and processed for identification of C. perfringens type A by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Out of 95 suspected cases, NE was confirmed in 37 cases giving an overall occurrence of 1.22%, with the highest prevalence in 22-28-day age group (n = 22; 0.73%) followed by the >29-day age group (n = 15; 0.49%). The gross pathological changes were mainly seen in the jejunum and were characterized by friable and thin-walled jejunum with ballooning, small focal blackish spots, and a Turkish towel appearance. Histopathologically, lesions were confined mostly to the jejunum with varying degrees of severity of mucosal necrosis, desquamation of villous epithelial cells into the lumen, coagulative necrosis and villi fusion, mucosal sloughing, thickened muscularis layer, haemorrhages at the tips of villi, heterophil infiltration, and severe hemorrhages in the mucosa. Conclusion: Necrotic enteritis was confirmed in 37 of 95 suspected broiler chicken cases, with the highest occurrence observed in the 22–28-day age group. The disease predominantly affected the jejunum, exhibiting characteristic gross and histopathological lesions, including mucosal necrosis, villous desquamation, fusion, haemorrhage, and inflammatory cell infiltration.